JAIPUR: The forest department has started search operations to nab poachers after it recovered 4 carcasses of the Nilgai (blue bull) in the pastureland of Moondghasa village in Bundi.
The largest of Asian antelopes, which prefer living in groups, are listed under Schedule III of The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which was later amended in 1993. An official said, “Acting on the complaint of villagers, a search was started after carcasses were found on January 23. A committee with the coordination of police and administration will also be constituted to check nearby meat shops too.”
In winters, hunting for the blue bull for its meat is done at a massive scale by poachers and villagers. A source in forest department, “The blue bull population has dwindled alarmingly in non-protected areas. The animals listed under this schedule are protected, but their hunting does not attract high penalties or severe punishments. In recent times, it has been killed at large scale in districts like Ganganagar, Bundi, Kota and others.”
Local conservationists blame poaching and poisoning for the rapid decline in the blue bull population. “Blue bulls are poached for their savoury meat and their medicinal value,” Bajrang Prajapat, a animal conservationist said.
The largest of Asian antelopes, which prefer living in groups, are listed under Schedule III of The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which was later amended in 1993. An official said, “Acting on the complaint of villagers, a search was started after carcasses were found on January 23. A committee with the coordination of police and administration will also be constituted to check nearby meat shops too.”
In winters, hunting for the blue bull for its meat is done at a massive scale by poachers and villagers. A source in forest department, “The blue bull population has dwindled alarmingly in non-protected areas. The animals listed under this schedule are protected, but their hunting does not attract high penalties or severe punishments. In recent times, it has been killed at large scale in districts like Ganganagar, Bundi, Kota and others.”
Local conservationists blame poaching and poisoning for the rapid decline in the blue bull population. “Blue bulls are poached for their savoury meat and their medicinal value,” Bajrang Prajapat, a animal conservationist said.
